In the End
by minini
Summary: Set in college. Cristina, a sophomore, and Owen, a senior, meet on a date...But not with each other. Will their relationship be able to turn into something more?
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own any of the Grey's Anatomy characters or stories. I am just a huge fan. This is my first try writing a story so any feedback would be appreciated.**

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Chapter 1

Cristina walked into the bar. She looked around while tugging her red dress. It felt too short. This was her first time going out since she broke up with Preston, her former boyfriend. He had left three months ago to take a job in London, leaving Cristina in Seattle. She had wanted to try the whole long distance thing but he had been categorical.

"Hey! You made it." Cristina quickly turned around to see her roommate Stacy standing behind her. The two had met freshman year of college and two years later they had become very close. Technically, Cristina didn't need a roommate as she could afford a place on her own, but she didn't mind the company.

"Is that a new dress? Red looks great on you." Cristina only smiled at the compliment and followed her friend to a table.

"Are you looking for someone?" Cristina asked when she saw Stacy looking around the room.

"Okay, don't get mad, but I sort of have a date."

"What! So I'm going to be a third wheel? Great, thanks Stacy!"

"No, you won't be. I promise. But you wouldn't have come if I had told you and you seriously need some fun right now. It's has been three months and you're still pining over Preston. He was an idiot for leaving you. You have to get over him." Cristina still looked unsure so Stacy continued. "This is only a first date and I needed a friend. He's actually a senior so I'm a bit nervous"

"Ughh! Okay, I'll stay, but only because it took me an hour and a half to get ready. And you owe me!"

"Yay! Oh, there he is."

Cristina followed her friend's gaze to the entrance. She was curious if it was anyone she knew. It definitely wasn't. A tall blonde guy started walking to their table. He was wearing a light blue shirt that matched his eyes. He caught her gaze and she quickly looked away, feeling a bit flustered.

"Wow!" She whispered to Stacy, before the two girls got up to greet the man.

* * *

Owen looked around the room, until he saw his date. As he walked towards her, he noticed another person sitting at the table looking at him. She had the most amazing hair he had ever seen. It was raven black with untamable curls. He found himself imagining running his finger through it. He had to snap out of it as the two girls got up.

"Hey, Stacy" Owen said as he kissed her cheek. "You look lovely." Indeed her dress suited her perfectly as it highlighted her best features.

Stacy gave her seductive smile and stared at her handsome date for a while. Owen felt a bit uncomfortable as he was waiting to be introduced to her friend. In a moment, the girl in the red dress coughed quietly, reminding Stacy of her presence.

"Oh, yes! Sorry! Owen, this is my roommate Cristina. I hope you don't mind her coming but she really needs to get over her breakup and a bar is the perfect place to get started"

Cristina gave her friend a glare. "Sure and why don't you tell him my life story while you're at it. Hi, Owen." She said, turning to him. "I'm really sorry for crashing your date, but I honestly had no idea." Stacy received another glare.

"Please, don't apologize. I'm sure we'll have a great time." Owen was amused by this girl. She was obviously younger than him, probably the same age as Stacy. But she was definitely something. He couldn't help staring at her. Her features were so delicate and her dress really showed off her smooth skin.

"I'm actually not feeling so good." Cristina suddenly blurted "I don't think I'm up to this after all."

"Are you okay? Do you need something to drink?" Owen asked, concerned.

"No, no. I'm fine. Just tired."

"Are you sure? I'll come home with you." Stacy offered, but Cristina declined. "Don't worry about me. You guys have fun. Nice meeting you, Owen."

"You too." Owen replied. He wondered if he should shake her hand, but in the end he just nodded. "Hope you feel better."

He watched the beautiful girl make her way through the crowd, until she got out of sight. He then joined Stacy who was already talking about something.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Cristina woke up to the smell of coffee.

"Good morning, sleepy head." Stacy greeted her when she saw her roommate walk into the kitchen. "I made coffee."

"Good morning yourself. Feels like I haven't seen you in ages. There hasn't been anyone to pick up after me."

"I've missed you too." Stacy responded with a laugh as she poured two cups of coffee. Owen and Stacy's first date went well. They were still seeing each other and it was becoming serious as Stacy started not coming home. Even though she constantly whined and complained, Cristina actually enjoyed the silence in their apartment. It was refreshing to have the TV all to herself and be able to take long showers without someone constantly rushing her. But there was the food problem. Without Stacy's culinary abilities, Cristina had to rely on cereal and fruit bars.

"I'm just back to get a change of clothes. I was invited to a party after classes. Nothing big. More like a gathering actually. I was hoping to take Owen but he's busy. Do you want to come with me instead?"

Cristina looked up from her cup. "So I'm your second choice? That stings."

"That's not what I…"

"I'm just kidding. Don't worry about it." Cristina loved playing with Stacy's feeling. It was just so easy. And entertaining. "I can't come. I have a huge test tomorrow and I want to reread some of the textbook chapters."

"Come on, Cristina. I don't want to go to this thing alone." Stacy begged. "I know you finished studying a couple of days ago when you skipped lunch with Owen and me."

Cristina chose to take a sip of her coffee instead of responding. The truth was that, while she liked Owen, she didn't enjoy attending their make-out sessions. It was obvious that Owen was trying to be polite but there are only so many things you can tell your girlfriend when she wants to stick her tongue in your mouth.

"What can I say, I like staying on top of my studies. Anyway, why can't Owen make it?"

"He has an interview with come big law firm. I'm not exactly sure which one but he was really excited about it. We're probably going to meet up afterward."

"Oh, you're going to MEET UP are you?" Cristina gave a knowing smile. "You can come back here if you want. I'll be stuck at the library finishing of a project."

"You are? That's great!" Stacy exclaimed. "Well, not for you, obviously. But I'm glad Owen can finally stay over here. Can you believe he still hasn't seen my place after four weeks? "

At that moment Stacy's phone rang. "Hey, Owen. I was just talking about you."

That was Cristina's queue to leave.

* * *

It was only nine o'clock, but Cristina was already tired. She had spent the morning reading her extensive notes, before heading off to the library. She had been stuck there for over seven hours. The only break she had was to go to the bathroom. On top of everything she had gathered all the information she need and even managed to write a rough draft of the paper, which wasn't due until the following week. How was she supposed to stay there any longer? She really regretted offering the apartment. The girl decided to return the stacks of books she had on her table. "That should take another half an hour." She thought. Cristina dragged the books to their places and received a grateful look from the librarian. Cristina smiled politely and felt her phone buzz. The vibration scared her and she realized how long she had gone without communicating with the world. For all she knew, zombies could've taken over. Someone could be trying to warn her. Luckily, it was only a text for Stacy:

_Hey! Turns out the party wasn't as small as I thought. We actually changed locations a couple of times. I'm not sure how long it'll last so I'll stay over and I'll see you tomorrow._

"YES!" Cristina said before realizing she had said it a little too loudly. She really needed a good night's sleep.

At home, she washed her hair and put on her most comfortable pajamas. They were red and white with little hearts and teddy bears on it. She hadn't worn this particular pair while she was with Preston as she didn't feel it was sexy, but she was secretly happy that she didn't have to impress anyone anymore. As soon as she felt the soft pillow Cristina fell asleep.

* * *

"Umm. This feels so good." Cristina thought as she felt a hand going up her leg. "Wait! Why is there a hand going up my leg? Is there someone next to me?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for all the great reviews! I love hearing what you guys think. Feel free to give any suggestions or advice.**

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**Chapter 3**

"Get away from me, you freak!" Cristina screamed as she jumped out of bed. She tried to understand what was happening but her eyes were not yet accustomed to the pitch darkness in the room. Stumbling toward her desk, she tried to get to her phone. "I know self-defense so don't try anything."

"Cristina?"

What the hell? "Owen?" Cristina stopped as she heard the familiar voice. She squinted as the room suddenly filled with light and she saw the big man standing next to the door.

"Cristina. I am so sorry. I thought you were Stacy. She said you won't be here. I am really sorry." Owen started apologizing.

For a while Cristina couldn't say anything but she quickly recovered from the shock and her initial fright was replaced by anger.

"YOU'RE SORRY? YOU SCARED ME TO DEATH." She screamed. "DON'T YOU CHECK WHO YOU GET INTO BED WITH?" The girl grabbed a pillow from the floor and threw it at him.

"I…I'm sorry" This was all Owen could say. He suddenly felt really embarrassed and his faced turned to a bright shade of red. His hands were in the pockets of his jeans and his gaze was off to the floor, as he wasn't entirely sure where to look.

"THIS ISN'T EVEN STACY'S ROOM."

"Well, in my defense, I've never been here before. Stacy told me you won't be here so I just assumed…Where is she, anyway? The other bedroom was empty."

"Didn't you talk to her?" Cristina asked, surprised that her roommate hadn't filled him in on the situation. "She's saying over at a friend's house."

"Oh. Well, my phone was off because of a meeting." Cristina watched Owen check his messages. This was beyond embarrassing for her. This was mortifying. There she was being felt up by her best friend's boyfriend. Well, who could blame her? The man was seriously gorgeous. Cristina found herself staring. _Stop it, Cristina! _She immediately told herself. _This is inappropriate!_

"Yeah, she left me a couple of messages. It's just been a really long day and I forgot to turn it back on."

They both stood there, just staring at each other. Cristina was still thinking while Owen was wondering what to do next. He wasn't sure whether he was supposed to wait for a response or just leave. So they just stood there.

"Nice PJ's, by the way." Owen said in an attempt to fill the awkward silence.

The comment brought Cristina back to reality and she suddenly felt self-conscious. Of course, she would be wearing her most embarrassing pair. She gave Owen a deadly glare which made him want to take back his words. Somehow, he had managed to make the situation worse.

"Get out!" She yelled as she threw another pillow at Owen.

_Stupid pajamas, with the stupid bears_. Cristina murmured, taking them off and throwing them in the corner of her wardrobe. _They will burn. Just have to find an open fire_. She put on her sweats and a dark blue hoodie and went to get herself a glass of water. It was already 11 o'clock. Great! She knew she couldn't go back to sleep after what just happened. She was probably going to be exhausted the next day. Just what she needed. As she walked into the kitchen, Cristina was startled yet again by the sight of Owen rummaging through the cupboards.

"What are you still doing here? Sexually harassing me wasn't enough, so you want to rob me too?"

Owen looked up at her. "Are you always this sassy or is this a special occasion?"

Cristina sat down on the counter. "What are you even looking for?"

"Food. I thought the least I could do was cook you a meal. But it turns out you manage to survive on cereal and… dog food?" Owen held up a can questioningly.

Owen couldn't help but notice the way Cristina's hair swayed as she laughed, black curls bouncing off her shoulders.

"Stacy used to have a dog. Well, technically it was our dog. She thought it would be a good idea to adopt a puppy from the shelter. Something to do with mutual responsibility and binding. If you ask me, it was just too much work. Did you know you actually have to walk it a least once a day? Although I have to admit Frodo was pretty adorable."

"Was? What happened? Did you forget to feed him or something?"

"What? No! How irresponsible do you think I am?" Cristina flashed Owen a smile. "Apparently our lease said that no pets allowed. Someone ratted us out to the landlord and he came banning at our door at 6 a.m. Not cool. I'm pretty sure it was the couple who lives down the hall. The keep giving me dirty looks every time I walk passed them. "

Owen just stood there while the girl continued to ramble. He was amazed by the way she opened up despite their more than awkward encounter a couple of minutes ago. To be honest he didn't mind listening to her and found her quite fascinating. As Cristina rambled on about her "suspicious" neighbours, she unconsciously gestured with her arms, flailing them above her head. It was rather adorable.

"What?" Cristina suddenly asked, aware that Owen was staring intently at her. She looked at him, straight into his blue eyes. Oh, those eyes. You could just melt into them.

"Do you want to order take-out?" Cristina blurted, interrupting the intense silence. What was she doing? _STOP STARIN! _She told herself. _Humph, wish it was that easy…_

"Well, I was hoping to impress you with my amazing culinary abilities but unfortunately I don't know what that many recipes that contain… 'lamb and liver'", reading the dog food label. " Ehh, that doesn't sound too good."

Cristina grinned again. "What a disappointment. Here I was thinking you were more than just good looks."

Did she seriously just say that? _What is wrong with you, Cristina? Maybe he didn't notice. Maybe he didn't notice!_

Owen did notice. He was surprised to hear the compliment and wasn't sure whether he should respond. What if she didn't mean it _that_?

He ran a hand through his hair, giving himself a few more seconds before he replied: "How about Chinese? I haven't eaten since lunch and would die for some Kung Pao Chicken."

"Chinese it is." _Thanks God that's over. _"Just so you know, you're buying". Cristina added while dialing the number of her favourite Chinese restaurant.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Owen and Cristina spent the rest of the night laughing. As it turned out they had a lot in common even though they came from entirely different backgrounds. Cristina learned a lot about him, although she was a little reluctant to talk about her personal life.

"Okay, I have an idea." Owen said. He was getting tired of hitting the wall that Cristina had put up around herself. He wanted to know her. He wanted to hear about her childhood, the things she liked. "Let's play a game."

"What kind of game?" Cristina said unsurely.

"20 questions. I ask you a question, you ask me a question." They were sitting on the couch and Owen turned toward her to see her reaction. He watched her fidget a bit until she sat comfortably with her legs crossed and looked at him.

"What if I don't like the question?"

"Well, if you don't like the question…you can choose to skip it. BUT if you skip a question, you lose the game. Just so you know, the winner gets the best price ever."

"Ooo, tell me more of this prize!" Cristina perked up when she heard that.

Owen smiled at himself as he realized he had done it. She was hooked and couldn't back out now.

"I'll tell you after the 20 questions you owe me!"

"That's not fair!" Cristina insisted, pouting at the fact that there was something she actually didn't know. She liked being able to see the whole picture and not being left in the dark, even if it was some stupid game.

"So?" Owen smirked. "Are you in or out?"

"I am so in. You're going down, Hunt!"

"We'll see about that, Yang" Owen replied, grinning. This was going to be fun.

* * *

18 questions later, both of them were still eager to win. They were now sitting on the floor where they could both stretch their legs. Owen was leaning on the couch, while Cristina had found a place next to him. She was using his leg as a pillow, her hair spreading all over him. He didn't mind, although his leg was already numb. They were trying to out-ask each other, each question becoming more personal than the previous.

Owen went on and on about himself. He had no problem answering Cristina's questions about his family because as it turned out he had had a pretty amazing childhood. His mother had spoiled him; he had been a popular kid in high school and had a lot of fun. Cristina on the other hand tried not to elaborate her answers. Honestly, she didn't really have a lot to tell. She certainly wasn't going to go on about her overbearing mother or her weird goth period (what was she thinking?).

"Come on, Yang! You can't give me 3-word answers. I'm pouring my heart to you here."

"Yeah, I'm sure you are. It must have been so tough for you growing up with a mother who loves you unconditionally. Let me guess, your dad probably took you fishing, didn't he? You look like the outdoors type."

Cristina waited for his response but Owen went silent. The wide grin that had been on his face had disappeared. Cristina immediately realized she had said something wrong and sat up: "Hey, I'm sorry if I said something wrong. I was just kidding around"

"Don't worry about it, it's fine." But he still couldn't look at her, so it obviously wasn't fine. And Cristina obviously couldn't let it go.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

Owen finally turned to her and gave her a smile: "I'm honestly fine. It's just that my dad died when I was four so I never actually got to go fishing with him."

Cristina lied back down onto Owen leg and closed her eyes. Owen looked at her delicate face. He had come to terms with his father's death a long time ago. He had had some tough teenage years but that was because he was angry. He needed a male presence and wanted to get to know a father he barley remembered. He still liked to think that his dad was watching over him, but Owen preferred not to talk about him. The main reason was the look people gave him. A look of pity. Cristina had caught him of guard and a wave of nostalgia came over him. Owen looked at her face again. It was surprising that she still hadn't said anything. She wasn't the quiet type.

"Are you still awake?" Owen gently nudged her.

"Of course I'm awake. Just thinking", she replied, opening her eyes. She turned over and slid her hands under her head as she faced Owen.

"My dad died too. When I was nine. In a car crash. But we don't have to talk about it." The words came gushing out of her mouth. Owen started stroking Cristina's hair in an attempt to show her that he understood. Words were useless in this case as there wasn't anything they could say that could make the pain go away.

"I think you win."

"What?"

"You win the game." Owen clarified when he saw Cristina's confused expression.

"It was a stupid game."

"Hey, don't insult the game. We had fun, didn't we?"

"Whatever! What do I get?"

"Okay, on top of bragging rights, you get to choose what we do tomorrow. I'm paying."

"What do you mean tomorrow? We're hanging out?"  
Owen looked amused. "Of course, we're hanging out. I'm free so I'll pick you up after your test. That's what friends do- they hang out. At least that's what I've heard."

"Oh, so we're friends now. What's in it for me?"

"Well, if you must know, I am a terrific friend. I even buy coffee."

"Coffee? Say no more."

"Cristina?"

"Yeah?"

"You really need to get of my leg now."

"Oh, sorry." Cristina rolled off to side, but was too tired to get up. Owen stretched and lay down next to her. "Is it okay if I crash her tonight? I don't I have the energy to drive back home."

"Sure, but don't think for a second you're sleeping in my room." Cristina laughed at Owen red face.

"Shut up. I'm taking the couch."  
"OR you can sleep in your girlfriend's bed, weirdo."

"Right. Stacy."

"So I hear things are going well with you two." Owen wasn't surprised that Stacy had talked to Cristina about their relationship. Girls had a tendency to share. In his opinion, even overshare.

"Yeah, things are great. Stacy's great." He mumbled. The truth was that he did like Stacy. She was a pretty, kind and loving person. They could have fun together. The problem was that they never had proper discussion. They rarely talked about their days, much less their lives. Sometimes, late at night, a speck of doubt lodged itself in Owen's head and left him wondering whether this was really what he wanted- to be with someone he doesn't know entirely and who doesn't know him. He usually dismissed such thoughts. They had met each other a few weeks ago. Things were bound to improve. Right?

Cristina got up and threw the take out boxes in the trash. "I'm going to bed. After all, a girl needs her beauty sleep," she said, winking.

Owen got up too and wished her good night. He turned off the lights and headed toward the second bedroom, when Cristina popped her head around door. "Thanks, Hunt. This was fun." And went back inside, leaving Owen shaking his head in amusement.


	5. Chapter 5

Cristina walked out of the classroom feeling tired. She had woken up with a massive headache that even two coffees couldn't fix. But that's what she gets for staying up late the night before an exam. However, given the situation, Cristina felt that she had aced the test. Anatomy was one of her best subjects. The girl still hadn't declared a major and chose to ignore the annoying speeches her mother gave her every time she went home:

"_Cristina, why are you wasting your life? You're not getting any younger and you need to start looking for a man if you ever want to get a husband. I can already see wrinkles on your face._" She didn't need a husband. It wasn't the 17th century last time she checked and there was a thing called feminism. Just because her mother had remarried two times didn't mean that Cristina had to give up her life to serve a man. That she was sure of.

Cristina's problem was that she was very indecisive when it came to important issues, even she knew it. Choosing a college major and career path was the perfect example. On the one hand she loved writing and enjoyed all of her English classes. In high school she was even published several short stories in the school newspaper. But of course that didn't really mean she was any good at writing since the school newspaper also included an article on banana peels. Seriously. Banana peels.

On the other hand there was medicine. She had wanted to become a doctor ever since the death of her father. She had watched him bleed out in front of her. There wasn't anything a nine-year-old girl could do. However, Cristina still remembered how helpless she felt. She hated that feeing. Becoming a doctor meant she could help others, know what she is doing and prevent the fathers of other little girls from dying. Cristina had purposefully chosen classes in both fields in the hope of finding where her heart truly lies. Unfortunately, as always, things were not as simple. And on top of everything, she had to make a decision before the end of the school year. Ugh. All this thinking really wasn't helping the headache.

Cristina hadn't realized that she had been aimlessly walking around campus until she bumped into Stacy.

"Stace, you're alive!" Cristina yelled dramatically as she hugged her friend. "I thought you were dead."

"Haha, very funny. Can you keep the noise down? I'm not deaf."

"I see someone's still hung over. How was the party?"

"It started out just a few people, but then Amanda's cousin brought over half of her building. After that things are a little foggy. I remember drinking. A LOT."

"Amanda? Do I know her?"

"She's Rachel's friend."

"Rachel? You know what, never mind. I'm glad you had fun. However, can I give you some advice? Next time, you're staying out, you should probably call to cancel your plans with your boyfriend. Just a suggestion."

"Oh my god, Owen!" Stacy shrieked, "I completely forgot about him. I'm a terrible girlfriend. What happened? Did he come over? Is he mad?"

"Wow, calm down! Everything's fine. I told him what the situation was and we ordered Chinese. It was actually pretty fun. He's a cool guy." There wasn't any need to tell her about the awkward greeting. She would let Owen decide whether it was even worth mentioning. Technically, it was his fault.

"I love you! Thanks you for covering for me." Stacy sighed with relief and hugged Cristina tightly.

"It's fine, but I can't breathe. Airway's closing up. Need. Air."

Stacy let go and rolled her eyes, "You're so dramatic. Ruined a perfectly good moment."

"Hey! You two!"

The two both turned around at the sound of the familiar voice yelling at them. Owen came over and pecked Stacy on the cheek. He turned to Cristina:

"You ditched me, Yang. I've been waiting in front of Pelegrino's classroom for over twenty minutes."

Cristina couldn't help but chuckle. "How was I supposed to know you were being serious about the whole hanging out thing?"

"I'm always serious." He tried to keep a straight face but Cristina's quizzical eyebrows made him burst into laughter. Stacy looked confused and the ringing in her head wasn't helping her catch up:

"What's up with the last names?"

Cristina and Owen just looked at each other and started laughing even louder.

"You guys are weird. I have to go get some sleep." She kissed Owen and promised to call him when she felt better. "Have fun!", leaving them trying to control their giggling.

* * *

"So where are we going?" Owen asked as soon as they started walking. He hadn't forgotten that Cristina got to pick what they were doing.

"I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it."

"Well, it's a nice day today- sunny and warm. We don't get too many of those around here. Why don't we do something outdoorsy?"

"Outdoorsy? Is that some fancy lawyer's terms?" Cristina asked playfully.

"Making fun of my vocabulary? That's not very nice. I'm actually very offended. Maybe I should just go."

As he turned around, Cristina grabbed his arm and pulled him back: "Okay, okay you big baby. I'm sorry, please don't go. I know what I want to do so you can bail on me now."

"Fine", Owen said with a big smile on his face. Even though Cristina pretended to be tough and mean she actually enjoyed his company. "So where to milady?"

"The place where I go to clear my head"

* * *

Owen parked his jeep under the shade of a tree and got out to look around. Cristina had been giving him directions the whole way there, but had refused to tell him their destination. They had driven for about 30 minutes and had found themselves in the national park just outside the city. The place was familiar to Owen as he used to come hiking there with his uncle. Although he enjoyed the stillness of the forest and loved spending a whole weekend surrounded by nature, he had given up the hobby a few years ago, when his uncle announced that he was too old for "walks in the park".

"So where are we going?" Owen asked, " I hope you're not planning on trekking because we're not exactly prepared."

"Trekking? Do I look like the type of person who would go trekking? I don't really do walking. Plus hiking is for lonely people with nothing better to do." Cristina headed towards a small path. It was pretty inconspicuous and only someone who knew about it would be able to find it behind the low plants.

"Hey! I used to hike. And if you must know, hiking is good for the soul."

"Well, so is music. Now stop whining and follow me." She gave him a smile to encourage him. If it was her, she would think twice about being led into the forest, without anyone around."We're almost there."

They followed the path to an opening in the forest. The path ended at a small shack. Even though it was worn down, it was painted different shades of green, blue and yellow, which gave it life. A sign that read: _Climb on!_, was dangling from one of the windows. Above the door hung a larger sign that displayed the name of the place: "Jeff's Rock Climbing".

Owen saw a tall rock climbing wall stretch behind the shack. Cristina was grinning enthusiastically:

"We're rock climbing! Surprise!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Come on, look excited, Hunt! This is going to be fun." Cristina tried to convince Owen. He was looking hesitant and hadn't said anything since they arrived.

"Hmm. We have very different definitions of the word 'fun'"

"_Fun_ is a universal word for having an amazingly awesome time! Now stop being grumpy, you sound like an old man." Cristina quipped.

"You do realize that I'm only two years older than you, right?"

"Am I sensing _fear_? Is Owen Hunt actually afraid of something? This is almost too good to be true."

Owen stuck his tongue out to her: "How's that for old?"

Cristina decided to ignore him, instead pulling him toward the cabin door by the sleeve.

"Come. On."

Owen decided he'd better follow her unless he wanted to get badly hurt. She looked so determined that she would have probably dragged him if he didn't cooperate. And seeing how he was at least twice her size, that wouldn't go well. For either of them!

"Jeff's an old friend of my dad. Wait here, I'll go talk to him." She headed towards the back room but abruptly turned around toward when she remembered Jeff's particularity: "And don't touch ANYTHING. He hates it when people play with his stuff. I don't want him to hate me just because I brought a newbie".

The shack was actually bigger than he initially thought. On the right of the door, six or seven surf boards were arranged. They were different shapes and sizes, with different designs. Owen made a few steps to take a closer look. They were all beautiful and extremely colourful, but his favourite was definitely a board with a little fishing hut on a beach, with the sun shining on the crystal water. It actually reminded him of Hawaii where his mum would take him for a few weeks over summer break. Every year, before they went, Owen would get really excited and tell all his friends how he would learn to surf. However, he never did get to it.

"Do you surf?" A deep voice said. Owen turned to meet the gaze of a middle aged man, who was at least a head shorter than him. However, Owen certainly felt smaller when the man started sizing him up.

"Uhh, no, not really. I was just admiring the boards. They're quite the eye catchers. But where, if you don't mind me asking, do you surf? This is Seattle after all." Owen asked.

"Haha, I don't mind at all. I never miss a chance to talk about the wonder years. I used to be an avid surfer. That is, when I didn't have this thing " he replied shaking his beer belly. " I used to travel to the best surf spots on the continent. These six boards are among my most prized possessions and this one, for example…"

Cristina politely tapped him of the shoulder: "Umm, Uncle Jeff…"

"Oh yes, sorry about that. I told you I get excited about that stuff. I'm Jeff, by the way. Jeff Rogers."

"Owen Hunt" Owen introduced himself as he shook the man's hand.

Jeff continued talking before Owen or Cristina for that matter could say anything: "So, Owen, how do you know Cristina?"

"Oh, we go way back" He answered with a grin.

"Yeah, way back to three weeks ago. He's dating Stacy." Cristina responded to Jeff's confused look. "I kind of crashed their first date. And apparently, now we're friends? Is that what you like to call it?"

"Finally, you got it. I was wondering how long it would take." Owen nudged Cristina playfully before turning to Jeff again. "But yeah, that's me, Owen Hunt, Cristina's FRIEND".

Jeff just shook his head: "If that's what you kids are calling it these days… I'll go get your equipment"

"Hey, come back here! What was that supposed to mean? Don't you walk away from me!" Cristina yelled after him. That was very inappropriate, she thought, very inappropriate.

Owen grabbed Cristina to stop her from running off to the back room. It really amused him when she got all angry about something and her ears turned red.

"Cristina, deep breaths. Although you're extremely cute when you're angry, I wouldn't want you to pop a blood vessel."

"Haha! You're _soo_ funny"

"I try." He responded with a smile, "So tell me what we're doing exactly."

"Okay, its actually pretty simply. There are too artificial climbing walls and a real cliff in the back. By your reaction, I'm just going to go and assume you're a beginner."

"You can say that again!"

"I could but I really don't like repeating myself so try to keep up."

"Look who's the funny one now." It was Cristina's turn to nudge Owen.

"As I was saying, we'll start on the lower wall so you can get the hang of it. Jeff is going to hold your rope the entire time so when you get to the top and you're ready to go down, or if you simply get too scared, you just let go and he'll pull you down."

Owen wasn't exactly scared, per say. He didn't get scared. But it was a weird feeling of climbing up a wall for no reason, getting higher and higher with each step. As it turned out, though, it came pretty easily to him. He was fit so he could pull himself up if necessary. Of course Cristina didn't miss a chance to mock his facial expressions. According to her, he looked like he seriously needed to go to the bathroom. When they got down, Owen wanted to prove that he wasn't a wuss so he suggested going up the higher one. It was definitely harder and when he finally got the top, where Cristina had been waiting for him for about 5 minutes, he needed some rest.

"How did you get here so fast?" He asked her as he tried to catch his breath.

She simply shrugged: "I don't know. I guess I've gone up so many times, I can do it in my sleep."

"It really beautiful. You can even see the city in the distance." Owen remarked. "Don't you ever get scared by the height?"

"Not really. I actually enjoy it. Makes me feel like I'm getting away from everything. This is where I can think."

* * *

They stayed up there for another few minutes, just enjoying the silence and the slight breeze. It was getting a little warmer, indicating that it was around 12 o'clock. After they came down, Owen sat down to drink some water while Cristina went on to conquer the cliff. Owen noticed that, in addition to being bigger than the two artificial walls, the cliff was smoother, making it harder to climb. But as he watched her, Owen saw how agile she was. She moved quickly and gracefully, finding the perfect place to put her feet, the perfect way to position her body. Owen just sat on the cabin steps, looking at the woman in front of him. If he could have seen himself, he would have though he was creepy. But since he couldn't, he thought about how different Cristina was from Stacy. It was interesting how they were such close friends, in spite of being complete opposites. Well, almost complete- they were both beautiful. Stacy was more outgoing and perky. She was smiling or giggling 96% of the time. Even when something really annoyed her, she would still smile through it. Also she was constantly worrying about her looks. It wasn't as if she didn't have any brains, sometimes it was very subtle, but it annoyed Owen, especially when she looked fine to him. Cristina on the other hand. She was so… complex. Sometimes she was difficult to figure out. Especially since she wasn't a big fan of opening up and sharing. Maybe that was why he was so fascinated by her. Or maybe it was the fact that she didn't really care what anyone else thought about her.

Cristina waved down at him and interrupted his inner monologue. She looked so tiny compared to the rock. He saw her mouth moving, but couldn't hear anything, so he decided to move closer.

"What?" Owen yelled, "I can't hear you!"

"I said, 'You look funny from above!'"

"I look funny? Then maybe you should start laughing as you watch me leave. In my car. The one you came in. Taking away the only option of you leaving this forest."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Please don't leave me stranded. I can barely deal with nature in the daytime. I'm coming down and we can go grab something to eat. I'm starving."


	7. Chapter 7

"This place is a pigsty. How can you possibly live like this?" Owen asked as he walked into the living room.

"If you don't like it, you're welcome to leave. You're the one who's always hanging around"

"Hold on, Yang! Don't let the pressure get to you. Remember I'm here to help". Owen carefully put two cups of coffee down on the table and started picking up papers and flashcards from the couch in order to make room to sit down.

"I'm sorry, let me get that"

"That's okay, I've got. So, how can I be of assistance?"

In response Cristina only grunted. She had been going over her biology notes. What on earth possessed her to take _Introduction to Neuroscience._ _If _she was going to become a surgeon, neuro was definitely not what she was going to specialize in.

"My brain hurts!"

Owen gave her a sympathetic smile: "I would suggest taking a break but I'm guessing what the answer will be."

"You know me too well. Pass me the coffee. This is my third cup this afternoon but I'm still having a hard time remembering—UGH! What is this? Are you trying to poison me, Hunt?"

"What? Does it taste bad?"

"Well let's just say I don't see you becoming a barista. Doesn't really matter, I actually do need to stretch my legs. Let's go get real coffee."

Cristina put her flip flops on and grabbed her keys from her jacket pocket. She was feeling especially lazy today so she was wearing her favourite sweatpants and a dark blue shirt. She didn't even bother with makeup. Just as Cristina was locking the door behind them, Stacy ran up and threw herself into Owen's arms.

"Hey, babe. I feel like I haven't seen you forever." Stacy squealed as she kissed her boyfriend passionately.

"Yeah, nice to see you too, Stace. Good to know that invisibility potion worked." Cristina said.

"Sorry about that," Stacy responded when she finally pulled away. "Owen, I can't believe you managed to get her out of that room. How did you do it?"

"I have my ways." He replied with a smile. "Let's just say I can make really bad coffee when I want to."

Stacy didn't understand what he was referring to, but Cristina quickly understood she had been tricked: "You little… I can't believe it." She quickly stomped of, pretending to be angry. Her friends caught up and together they walked the two blocks to the nearest coffee shop. On the way, Owen filled Stacy in on what she had missed and in return she told them all about a party she had been to a few nights ago.

* * *

Owen had to get to a lecture so he left shortly after they had bought there coffees.

"Bye Stacy, I'll call you later. Yang," he said as he turned to the other girl, "good luck tomorrow."

"Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it."

"What's this? A thank you from Cristina Yang? I cannot believe my ears."

"Ughh, just leave before I throw something at you." Owen just smiled before heading out the door.

The two girls were sitting at one of the back tables and each of them was sipping their drinks. Stacy was the first one to speak. Well, she was always the first one to speak.

"So I see that you and Owen are getting along. I thought you hated him?"

"He's ok. We've been hanging out."

"I know. I'm actually jealous. You get to spend more time with him than I do."

Cristina wasn't exactly sure how she should respond so instead she decided to take another sip of her coffee.

Stacy continued, "Can I tell you something? You're my best friend and you have to promise not to judge me."

"Okay…This sounds intriguing. Shoot"

"I kissed someone else"

"You did what?"

"Hey! I said no judging!"

Cristina tried to calm her voice, realizing that she was yelling: "I wasn't judging you, Stace, I was just surprised. Why would you do something so stupid? I thought you and Owen were happy."

"I thought so too. I didn't plan it, it just happened. I was a bit drunk and this guy began flirting with me and things got a bit out of control." Stacy admitted.

"Well did you… sleep with him?"

"NO! Of course I didn't sleep with him. What kind of person do you think I am?"

"I was just asking." Her friend said quietly.

There was a period of silence while Cristina tried to comprehend the information she was just given. She felt sorry for Owen, because he didn't know any of this was happening. She felt sorry for Stacy because she was confused and wasn't even sure what she was feeling. She even felt a bit relieved for some reason.

Finally Cristina spoke up: "You need to tell him. He deserves to know."  
"I know but I don't know how to. He'll hate me" Stacy was obviously scared.

"Trust me he won't. He's a good person. But if you ever tell him I said that I will come after you"

Her roommate finally smiled: "You have a weird relationship."

"Tell me about it."

* * *

When Cristina walked out of the classroom after her exam the next morning she was surprised to see Owen waiting for her. He smiled when he saw her and handed her travel mug full of coffee.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" Cristina inquired.

"Well, I thought you could use some fun after the exam and Stacy told me bring you your mug this morning."

"So you slept over?"

"Yes, why?"

"Did you sleepover or _sleep_ over?"

Owen's face turned red. He could talk to Cristina about anything but he felt extremely uncomfortable discussing his relationship with her.

"Okay, got it. So you and Stacy didn't talk about anything?"

By Owen's confused expression, the girl guessed that Stacy hadn't told him about the kiss. Crap. Was Cristina supposed to tell him? The situation sucked. She couldn't not tell Owen what she knew; that would be the same as lying to him. But she also couldn't betray Stacy's trust. This was something she was supposed to do herself. Cristina had to get away before she said or did something she would later regret.

"Thanks, Hunt. For the coffee." Cristina muttered, backing away slowly. "But I have to go. I have… a thing. I'll see you." And with that she fully turned and began half-walking, half-running, leaving Owen staring after her perplexed. What had just happened?


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"I CANNOT BELIVE THIS!" Cristina screamed as she walked into her apartment. She had texted Stacy earlier asking where she was. They needed to talk. ASAP. "I can't believe you didn't tell him. And you let him stay over."

Cristina took of her shoes and tossed her jacket on a chair. She was prepared to make Stacy suffer. She had prepared a whole speech. But the moment she stepped into the living room and took in the view in front of her, she could neither move nor say a word. Her mind was barley understanding what her eyes were seeing. There, in her own apartment, sitting on her couch, was sitting her ex-boyfriend, Preston Burke. He was supposed to be a senior, but had managed to graduate a year earlier and had taken a job in London. They had been dating for almost twelve months and for the first time in a long time Cristina had felt happy. She could even envision a future with Preston. Then one day, he had made reservation to a fancy restaurant. Cristina, thinking that he might actually ask her to move in with him, was very excited for the date, but nervous. She had spent longer than usual getting ready, picking out the perfect dress and doing her hair. The dinner had gone well, although the couple hadn't really talk. Cristina thought that her boyfriend was just nervous. Moving in together would be a big step for both of them. Then came dessert and Preston told Cristina all about the job offer in England and that he had already started making the necessary preparations to leave in a couple of weeks. Cristina was shocked. This was not what she was expecting, especially since he had never mentioned it before. She tried to ask what that meant for their relationship, but he was quick to add that he didn't think they should continue seeing each other with 7723 km between them. He wanted to start fresh, with nothing keeping him back. At that point, Cristina had been on the verge of tears. He had just told her that their love wasn't strong enough to survive and that she was getting in his way. Without saying a word, she had thrown her wine in his face and walked out, leaving the whole restaurant staring at both her and the drenched Preston.

Cristina's mind came back to the present moment. She felt like running again. What was he doing back?

"Hello, Cristina." He said, standing up.

Cristina was aware that it was her turn to say something but couldn't find the words. _Say something. Anything. You look stupid. Use your words to form sentences. _

She looked to Stacy for help, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"Cristina?" Preston said again.

"Yes? Oh right, sorry." Cristina mentally scolded herself. _Focus, Cristina, focus. _"Hi." She was finally talking but couldn't bear to look him in the eyes.

"How are you? You look good." Preston continued, when he saw that Cristina wasn't going to add anything.

"I'm great. Sorry, can you hold on for a sec?" Cristina turned to Stacy: "Stacy, can I talk to you?"

"Sure"

"In the other room." Cristina added, tilting her head toward the other part of the apartment.

"Oh, right." Stacy finally took the not-so-subtle hint and stood up.

"Be right back." Cristina smiled politely at Preston as she hurried her friend into her bedroom.

"What the hell is he doing here?" She asked as soon as the door was closed.

Stacy looked unsure at first but finally spoke: "Look, don't be mad-"

"What did you do?"

"Well, Preston called a week ago, but you weren't home so I took a message. He said he was coming back because he had some unfinished business to take care of and would like to see you. Before you say anything, I didn't tell you because I knew you weren't going to agree to meet with him."

"Of course I don't want to see him, Stacy! He broke my heart. He moved 10 hours away from me and didn't care enough about me to even keep in touch. I spent that past six months trying to fix something he broke." Cristina was almost screaming.

"I know and I'm really, really sorry, but you haven't been on a date since you broke up and you rarely have fun. I thought maybe you need some closure. I just wanted to help."

Cristina couldn't really say anything. Even though she was angry at Stacy for hiding this from her and going behind her back, she was actually right. Cristina did need closure.

"Are you mad?" Stacy asked in a low voice. She was preparing herself for screams.

Cristina exhaled and said: "No. I'm not. But you have to do something for me."

"Anything."

"Tell Owen. He doesn't deserve to be lied to."

"I know. I was going to do it last night, but I chickened out. I didn't what to say. But I finally came to a decision."

"Which is?"

"I'm going to break up with him." Stacy said candidly

"Okay, I wasn't expecting that. Are you sure?"

"I've been thinking about for a while now. We just don't fit. Don't get me wrong, he's super hot and amazing in bed," she said with a laugh, "but we never talk and we never do anything together."

"Do you want me to stop hanging out with him?"

"No, of course not, he's your friend too. It might be a bit awkward for me at first, but I would never expect you to cut him out of your life, just because it didn't work out between us."

Cristina gave Stacy a big hug. "You're the best, Stace. I'm proud of you for making such a grown-up decision."

"Okay, stop with the sentimentalities and stop staling! Go out there and talk to him. I have something important to go do."

* * *

Stacy left, leaving Cristina and Preston to deal with their own relationship. Or ex-relationship. Whatever. It was extremely awkward either way. They talked of a while, exchanging pleasantries, asking about each other's lives.

"Cristina, I have a question. I know this might be a bit bold of me but I made reservations. I hope we can talk. About us." Preston said.

"First of all, there is no 'us'. And secondly, those were statements, not questions." Cristina snapped back. She was feeling protective and even after all this time, she was still hurt.

Preston smiled and shook his head: "You haven't changed. And yes, I realize there is no 'us' but I'm hoping we can change that. So my question is: Would you like to have dinner with me?"

Cristina wasn't sure how she should respond. She wasn't sure if she even wanted an 'us" to exist again. But hearing him ask her out again, made all of her old feeling come rushing back. With knowing what to expect she agreed to meet him for dinner.

After getting his response, Preston gave her a slight kiss on the cheek. "Reservations are at 7. I'll come pick you up at 6:30." Then he left.

Cristina popped her head through the kitchen door to check the time on the microwave clock. It was already 3:30. She had spent 3 hours with her ex. And all she'd eaten was a few crackers. _You're thinking about food? You just agreed to go on a date with the man who broke your heart._ What had she gotten herself into?


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks to everyone who reads my story and a special thanks to everyone who leaves a review. **

**Just wanted to let you all know that I'll be travelling back to Europe for a month. I will try to update at least once but I don't know when or if I'll have access to a computer. Sorry :(**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

_Oh my gosh, Cristina, how could you agree to this?_ Cristina was staring at the clothes hanging in her closet. How was it possible not to have anything to wear? In the back, partially hidden by a two handbags, were her favourite pajamas, the ones with the bears. Even though she had sworn to burn them after the incident with Owen, Cristina just couldn't get herself to get rid of them. Instead, she settled for leaving them in her wardrobe where no one would see them. But at the moment Cristina wasn't concerned with her sleepwear. She was staring at her dresses. She needed to look perfect at dinner. The girl wasn't entirely sure what Preston wanted or whether she even wanted things to anywhere. All she knew was that she had to look hot and show what her ex had broken up with.

_Come on, you've been standing here for 40 minutes. Just pick a dress. You look great in all of them, that's why you bought them._ She was trying to be more decisive, after all she didn't have a lot of time to get ready. She hadn't even taken her shower yet. Finally, Cristina grabbed two hangers and stood in front of the mirror. She put each dress in front of her to see how it looked. The first was a navy blue dress, which went down to her knees. The top of dress was a see-through blue lace, which made the dress extremely sexy yet conservative. The other dress, Cristina had chosen, was a red one she had worn only once: the night she had met Owen. Stacy had made her buy something new and later dragged her out to a club, forgetting to mention she had a date. It wasn't something Cristina would usually wear as it was a bit revealing. And by "a bit" she meant very. It was sleeveless, with a deep v-neck and no back. The straps tied around her neck. The question was which one she should wear. She looked at the blue one again. _This is a nice dress. It's respectable and fits you well. _Then shelooked at the other one. _But this one so bold. I don't want to play it safe anymore. Safe got me dumped and safe left me hiding in my room for months. _

The red one it is. Picking an outfit gave Cristina more confidence. She laid her outfit out on her bed and went to check the time again. _Crap_, she thought. It was almost 5:30. How was it possible to spend almost two hours on clothes? She could feel the panic again. She took her clothes off and dashed into the bathroom.

* * *

Owen was mad. Scratch that. Owen was furious. He had just spoken with Stacy. Or rather Stacy had spoken with him. After hearing what she had to say, Owen just left. He was sick and tired of being in meaningless relationships. And he was hurt. Surprisingly though, he wasn't hurt because Stacy had cheated on him or because they had broken up, he was hurt because Cristina hadn't told him about it. He was sure that she knew. This explained the way she had acted that morning. He actually trusted her. He thought that they had grown closer over the past months. But apparently it was all in his head. Girls stick together. He needed to clear his head. He started aimlessly walking down the streets until he realized that what he needed was to talk to Cristina. And he needed to return the key Stacy had given him. But mostly to talk to Cristina.

He let himself in and called her name. He received no response and was about to leave when he heard that the shower was running. He decided to wait. After 20 minutes Owen heard the water go off. He wondered whether he should tell her he was there, but decided against it. He thought it would scare her more if he yelled while she was in the bathroom. He heard her get out of the shower and looked towards the bathroom. The door was left slightly and Owen could see Cristina rubbing lotion on one leg. Her skin was slightly pink from the warm water. Even though he felt like he was intruding, he couldn't look away. It wasn't until he felt the urge to run his hands all over her did he avert his gaze. Then Cristina came out and Owen stood up.

Cristina jumped back when she saw Owen standing in her living room.

"You should really stop sneaking up on me, it's creepy."

"We need to talk. Now!" Owen remembered he was angry. "I can't believe you!"

"Me? What have I done to you?" Now Cristina was the one confused. She could see that Owen was angry. The only explanation she could think of was that Stacy had told him. But why would he be here, angry at her?

"You know, I really thought we had something. I thought all the talk about friendship and all the time we spent together was just a load of crap." Owen started yelling.

"It wasn't. What are you talking about?" Cristina was startled by Owen's outburst.

"You know what I'm talking about. I can't believe you didn't tell me about Stacy! But I guess my feeling don't really matter to you do they? I guess all those nights I spent helping you study don't really matter!" Owen continued to raise his voice and unconsciously walked closer to Cristina.

Now it was her turn to get mad: "You really think I'm that selfish? Thanks, good to know! For your information, I didn't tell you because I didn't want to hurt you. What was I supposed to say, huh? 'Hey, uh, Owen, your girlfriend made out with someone else. Wanna get some ice cream?' It wasn't my place to say anything."

Cristina wasn't expecting silence from Owen. She was suddenly aware of their closeness. In the spur of the moment both of them had moved closer together, leaving only a few inches between their bodies. Cristina also felt very naked, only in a towel that barely covered her. And Owen's intense gaze wasn't helping at all. Then just as she was about to break the silence, Owen pushed her up at the wall and kissed her. It was an angry kiss, as if he was trying to show her how hurt he was. He moved one of his hands to her lower back while keeping the other one at the small of her neck. He could feel Cristina melting into him so he forced his tongue into her mouth and continued exploring her with his hands.

Cristina was shocked by what had just happened, but couldn't deny that it felt amazing. But then reality hit her. She couldn't be kissing Owen. Plus, she had a date to get ready for. She placed her hands on Owen's chest and gently pushed him away. He opened his eyes, which were noticeable darker and stared into hers. He moved his hands from her body and placed them on the wall on both sides of her, essentially trapping her.

"What was that?" Cristina asked once she had caught her breath.

"Something I've wanted to do for a long, long time."

Cristina couldn't hold his intense gaze and looked down awkwardly. Sensing she was uncomfortable, Owen lowered his arms and took a few steps backwards:

"I'm sorry. Should I not have done that? It's just that it's you, in a towel. And you kissed me back if I'm not mistaken."

Cristina self-consciously tried pulled that towel down: "No, it felt…it's just that… I have a date to get ready for." Holding her towel tightly around her body she walked into her bedroom, once again leaving Owen confused.

"Wait, what?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_A date?_ Owen felt a tightening in his chest. He didn't even know she was interested in anyone. Not that they ever talked about that stuff but with spending so much time together he thought he would have found out earlier. _Before_ he made a fool of himself.

He stepped closer to Cristina's shut door and rested his forehead on it, exhaling deeply.

"Cristina?" He said, hoping for any kind of reaction. "Cristina, please talk to me. Don't shut me out." When he saw that she wasn't planning on talking, Owen continued a little hesitantly: "Look, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I kissed you." Owen ran a hand through his hair. _This speech wasn't exactly going smoothly. UGHH. _"That's a lie. I'm not sorry for kissing you. However, I am sorry about attacking you like that. Please open the door. It's just that Stacy broke up with me and I found out that you lied to me. I was angry and confused. Well, mostly confused. And then I got a call that I didn't get into the internship program I had applied for and I just…" After a few moments of silence, Cristina slowly opened her door.

Surprised, Owen stepped a few feet back. He honestly hadn't expected her to face him. And in _that_ dress. How was he supposed to have a grown-up conversation with her when she looked like _that_. Cristina was wearing the red dress she had on when she first met Owen in the bar few months ago. She had her hair brushed out and it fell over her shoulders and bare back.

"You're not going out like that, are you?" Owen asked when he was done looking her over.

"Excuse me?"

"You're going to put something on top, right? Maybe a sweater?" _Maybe 10 sweaters, _Owen thought. He really wasn't liking the idea of some creep seeing Cristina in her sexy but _very_ revealing dress.

"What is your problem? If you don't like the dress, you're welcome to leave so you don't have to see me in it. Actually," she continued before getting a response, "you should leave, before Preston gets here."

"Preston? You're going out with the guy that broke your heart?"

Cristina was starting to get angry: "Not that it's any of your business, but yes I am. He said he wanted to talk and I agreed."

"I pretty sure he wants to do more than talk, Cristina! Especially when he sees you in that dress!"

"Oh my God! What is your problem with my dress?" Cristina yelled. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Stacy. I'm sorry, okay? I made a mistake! But my love life has nothing to do with you."

Owen just stood there, staring at her: "Are you done?"

"Yes" She mumbled.

"Good. Because now _I_ have something to say to you." Owen stepped closer and looked directly into Cristina's eyes. "I think you're amazing. I think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." At his words Cristina turned her gaze away, but Owen gently pulled her chin up so she was looking at him again. "I love the way your eyes light up when you laugh. I love the fact that you care so much even if you try to hide it. I love how I can tell you anything." As Cristina stood frozen, Owen moved even closer and cupped her face in his hands. He bent down so his mouth was brushing her ear and whispered: "I love that dress but I don't think you should wear it for anyone but me."

Cristina shivered as she felt Owen's breath on her skin. All of her anger was gone. All she could think about was were the hands that were currently caressing her face. She opened her eyes, realizing she had closed them at some point and looked up at the man making her feel things she hadn't felt before.

"Owen," she whispered, "just kiss me."

And with that, they were both gone. All Owen needed was an invitation, a signal for her that this was what she wanted. He claimed her lips with his own and gently pushed her back so she was pressed against the door. Cristina's hand ran up and down his arms and settled in his hair, gently tugging at separate strands. Owen's hands dropped from her face to her waist, using his position to pull her toward him. He traced her bottom lip with his tongue. As she let out a moan, Owen used the moment to find her tongue and deepened the kiss. After what seemed like forever, Owen carefully pulled back. Cristina groaned at the loss of contact and Owen smirked. It looked like he wasn't the only one enjoying this. The girl's lips were swollen and her cheeks flushed. Her breath had speed up and her eyes were once again closed from the pleasure. Owen lifted a hand from her waist and used it to trace circles along her naked shoulders.

"God you're beautiful" He whispered.

Cristina opened her eyes and stared at the blue one looking down on her. She stood on her tiptoes and leant in for another kiss.

Just then they heard a knock at the door, which broke the couple apart and threw them back into reality. Cristina looked stunned and Owen started worrying that she might regret what had happened between them.

"Cristina.." Owen started.

"What are we doing? You're my best friend's boyfriend. This is wrong."

There was another knock.

"Cristina, Stacy and I broke up. We're not doing anything wrong. This feels right." He moved closer, wanting to reassure her. "Stay with me tonight. Don't go." He pleaded.

Knock, knock.

"Just a minute!" Cristina yelled, before turning back to Owen. She found she couldn't look at him. Making space between them, she responded: "I can't. We can't do this. Preston is waiting for me. I have to go."

Owen felt paralyzed. He watched as Cristina moved away from him, but couldn't say or do anything to stop her. She grabbed her purse and a clack coat and started heading out.

"Cristina."

"I have to go, Hunt. I'm sorry!"

Hearing her call him "Hunt" made his chest tighten again. Her voice had lost any trace of gentleness.

From where he was standing he heard the front door open and a deep voice talking. _His _voice.

"Are you ready to go, Cristina?"


End file.
